Letters
by 10Blue10
Summary: This two shot is based on a story I started and then deleted. I hope you enjoy it. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

This two shot is a rewrite of a story I began posting, and then deleted. See if you can solve the mystery; the Doctor is a bit dense in this story. Blame it on him being easily distracted. I hope you enjoy reading it, and please review!

I couldn't think of what to do for seven and eight, so I did two ninth Doctor letters instead. One can never have enough nine, after all.

Mysterious Letters 

The Doctor bid goodbye to Amelia and hurried back to the safety of his blue box. Part of the reason for his abrupt departure was the unlocking of new memories. Time had changed somehow, and he now remembered finding a series of letters over the years, none of which were signed. They were all in a case under his bed, in TARDIS blue envelopes. He pulled them out and began to reread them, to cement the new memories in his mind.

/

The first Doctor grumbled as he fussed about the kitchen, making a cup of tea. He picked up Susan's canary yellow mug by mistake and quickly replaced it. Once his tea was brewed, he walked over to an armchair in the corner of the kitchen. There was a letter on it, in an envelope the same colour as his ship. Suspicious, the Doctor picked it up and settled himself down, before breaking the seal and pulling out a letter.

_To my first Doctor, _

_It will be such a long time before we meet face to face, but you should know I will always be here for you. Don't be scared; I'm not another Time Lord, or a projection of your mind. I'm simply someone very close to you. I know Susan was close to you. I too enjoyed her company and will miss her. Trust me when I say that letting her go will be the best thing for her. It will give her the chance to grow, and David will support her through everything. _

_I don't know if we will ever return, because time, unfortunately, has a habit of breaking our promises for us. Have faith, Doctor, that whether you come back or not, she will be happy. _

The Doctor sniffed and wiped his eyes impatiently. He wondered who this mysterious person was, and how they knew about him leaving his granddaughter behind. Tucking the letter into his coat pocket, deciding to stow it somewhere safer later on, the Doctor sipped his tea and pondered.

/

"Wait here. You will be called to stand trial shortly" ordered the guard. The second Doctor resisted the urge to make a rude gesture at his departing back and huffed. The Doctor heard something drop onto the floor behind him. It was a letter, almost exactly the same as the one he'd found when…when Susan had left. Curious, the Doctor lay down on his stomach and began reading the letter.

_To my second Doctor, _

_You're probably wondering who I am. As before I will say, I am someone close to you and I will always be here for you. I know that this trial is horribly unfair, after everything you've done that they dare not, but unfortunately I am powerless. I was powerless then and I am powerless now. The best I can do is to give you this letter. _

_Yes, you will be found guilty. Yes, you will be punished. You will be frustrated, lonely and filled with longing. But you will not be alone. Their punishment will not last forever. Remember that, when you feel like things will never end…I know for a fact that they get better. Trust me. _

Smiling, the Doctor tucked the letter into his coat pocket, and hoped he wouldn't lose it. He pulled out a pack of cards and began to play with them, wondering who the letter writer was, and when he would meet them.

/

The third Doctor stormed into his workshop. His assistant, Jo, jumped nervously and left, babbling about seeing that he was very busy and she actually had a lot of stuff to do, so she'd see him later. The Doctor sighed guiltily and scratched the back of his neck. He hadn't meant to alarm the poor girl.

He'd been discussing the protocols for dealing with aliens with the Brigadier, and trying to convince the soldier to make them a little less…warmongering. Insulted, the Brigadier had accused the Doctor of _wanting _Earth to be invaded, so he could piggyback a lift off planet if he got on the alien's good side. After a heated shouting match, Sergeant Benton had mercifully turned up, giving the Doctor a chance to get away.

Sitting down at his worktop, the last thing the Doctor expected to see was a TARDIS blue letter. Whoever was sending these, he really wished they would just show their face, or at least sign the letters. With nothing better to do, he opened the seal and began to read.

_To my third Doctor, _

_Honestly, I told you this wouldn't last forever, but no amount of shouting and stamping is going to lift your exile. Really, I expected better of you. I know the Brigadier's methods aren't ones you would use first choice, but you can't deny that they could be effective. You're usually so diplomatic, but effectively telling the Brigadier his ideas were stupid, out-dated and would bring about the end of the world, was probably not the best tack to take. I'm sure you've realised this already. _

_You are lucky not to be locked up, experimented on, or worse, dead. You are most certainly lucky to have as much autonomy as you do, all things considered. I suggest you swallow your pride and apologise to the Brigadier, and to the girl as well. _

Chagrined, the Doctor went to stow the letter where he'd hidden all the others; under his bed. Then he went to find Jo, because he was still a bit sore about his argument with the Brigadier. Perhaps she would have some good advice.

/

The fourth Doctor watched on the monitor as Sarah Jane walked away, before turning back to the console. He began to set the co-ordinates for Gallifrey, but paused when he spotted the TARDIS blue envelope sitting innocuously on the console. He opened it and leaned against the panel as he perused.

_To my fourth Doctor, _

_I know what melancholy thoughts are going through your head right now. They always leave, they never stay…well, I stay. You still haven't worked out who I am yet, I bet it's driving you crazy. As for your companions leaving…yes, they leave. Sometimes they don't get a chance to leave, unfortunately. But sometimes, just sometimes, you'll meet them again. _

_Don't forget Sarah Jane, Doctor. She will never forget you. _

The Doctor smiled a toothy grin, and stowed the letter safe in his pocket. He then pulled out a bag of jelly babies and picked out a red one, Sarah Jane's favourites. Holding it up in his thumb and forefinger, the Doctor made a toast, "To Sarah Jane Smith".

/

The fifth Doctor bid goodnight to Nyssa and Tegan and began to make some minor repairs to the TARDIS console. It wasn't long before, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the familiar TARDIS blue envelope. "Do _you _know who's sending these to me, old girl?" he asked his TARDIS, but she didn't even hum in response. Rolling his eyes, the Doctor took out the letter and began to read.

_To my fifth Doctor, _

_I am sorry for your loss. I am sorry that Adric died and that you couldn't save him. Most of all, however, I am sorry that all I can offer is this minor apology and a promise, once again, that I will never leave you. Please don't blame yourself for the death of your companion. No matter how much it may seem so, what happened today was not your fault. Your human friends don't understand this, but you are as lost at sea and at the mercy of fate as any of them. _

_No matter what happens, you will have me. _

The letter, once read, was placed back in the envelope and carried to its resting place. The Doctor had his suspicions of who the writer was, but all of them seemed ridiculous. It was nice, however, to have contact, however brief, with someone who seemed to understand him so well.

/

The sixth Doctor's mouth was set into a thin line, his mind churning over the events of his gruelling trial and battle with his evil, future alter-ego. The thought of becoming such a callous, manipulative person, unconcerned for the lives of others, was inconceivable, and yet…the Doctor's frown deepened as memories rose to the surface. Trying to kill an injured person to avoid them slowing him down, standing by whilst one of his own begged for help, nearly strangling poor Peri in regeneration induced frenzy…

He was startled out of his darkened mood by a TARDIS blue envelope landing right on his head. Scowling, the Doctor nonetheless opened the envelope. His curiosity was always too great to leave these messages unread.

_To my sixth Doctor, _

_Please stop dwelling on whether you are no better than the Valeyard. The very fact that you are concerned about your…similarities to him proves that you have more conscience and more morals than he does. Besides, the Valeyard is not you. He is not even a real person. He is merely a construct, thoughts and feelings given physical form. That's why he wanted your regenerations. He thought it would make him become real, but he was wrong. _

_Besides, if I ever detect a hint of you becoming the Valeyard, I will personally see to it that you come to your senses as quickly as possible. _

Who _was _giving these to him? As he puzzled over it, the Doctor placed the letter in his jacket pocket. He'd put it with the others later, if he remembered. "I don't know who you are" he said aloud, "but I am going to find out".

/

The newly regenerated ninth Doctor was curled up beneath the remains of his TARDIS' console, sobbing. He cried knowing there was no-one to hear him, just like he couldn't hear them. They were gone. It was all his fault.

A TARDIS blue envelope was waiting outside the TARDIS when he finally dragged himself to the doors. The Doctor hadn't received one of these letters for years, and he'd long since given up trying to figure out who was sending them. Then that damned War broke out and he…the Doctor shoved away the terrible memories and focused on the letter.

_To my ninth Doctor, _

_I am so, so very sorry. I want you to know, you did the right thing, and I do not blame you at all. I forgive you. I know that must seem rather meaningless, considering you've never realised who I am. Honestly, you'd miss something stuck to the tip of your nose. _

_Please do not give up. There is so much more out there for you to see. It will be fantastic. _

The Doctor scrunched the note up and tossed it aside. He didn't want this mysterious person's pity. When he found it on his pillow later, smoothed out if a little creased, he wasn't entirely surprised.

/

The ninth Doctor sighed as he walked up to the console and dematerialised. So much for finding a new companion; it was a shame, Rose had so much…potential, he supposed. She was brave enough, and compassionate. She had saved his life after they'd only just met. The Doctor shook his head clear of thoughts; it was starting to sound like he was falling in love, and that was a bad idea.

The letter was sitting on the crash seat; the Doctor sat on it too, and pulled it out from under him. At first, he considered simply not reading it, but as always his curiosity got the better of him.

_To my ninth Doctor, _

_What do you think you're doing? I told you not to give up. This is giving up. If you want Rose to be your companion, go back and ask her again. You know how humans are, sometimes they need an extra push to get them to do anything. _

_Also, you forgot to mention that your brilliant ship also travels in time. _

A wide grin split the Doctor's face, and he hurried to the controls, stuffing the letter into his leather jacket as he did so. He _had _forgotten to mention that little detail…

/

The tenth Doctor walked dejectedly along the beach, the surf rolling up around his Converses. This Norwegian beach was the nearest equivalent of Darlig Ulv Stranden, Bad Wolf Bay. He'd hoped it would make him feel closer to Rose, but no luck. If anything, he felt further away from her than ever.

He spotted a familiar shade of blue in the sand, and plucked the letter from the beach before a wave could carry it off. A wild thought occurred to him; what if it was _Rose _sending these messages to him, or Bad Wolf itself? That would explain why they were never signed; she wouldn't want him to know about her before they met. With this in mind, he opened the envelope and read the letter.

_To my tenth Doctor, _

_I'm sorry you lost Rose, and we will both miss her. But remember, as I said in my fourth letter, sometimes they come back. She isn't dead, nor has she forgotten you. There is still, and will always be, hope. _

Still not signed; but the thought that Rose might come back, even though it was impossible, cheered the Doctor up no end. He ran back to his faithful TARDIS, and set the co-ordinates. He'd noticed some strange plasma coils in London earlier, now if he could just work out where they were coming from.

/

The eleventh Doctor picked up the last unopened letter, broke the seal, unfolded the paper within. Would he finally find out who had been writing them?

_To my eleventh Doctor, _

_Hello. It seems such a short time ago that I said that to you, when we met for the first and last time. You were so weighed down even then. If I could help you save your companions, I would, but as always even I am powerless to stop the march of time. I want you to know that I'll always be here, and I will always love you. _

_River loves you as well, and she needs you. You need to be with each other for this, both of you need the others support. _

The Doctor lay back on his bed, hugging all the letters to his chest. He knew who sent them. The TARDIS blue envelopes, the promises of always being with him, the way the writer seemed to know so much about him. How had he not seen it sooner? He grinned up at the ceiling, and said, "Thanks for everything, old girl".

The TARDIS hummed happily. She knew her plan would work.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Letters from the TARDIS Part Two

Letters to the Lost Thief 

The TARDIS watched happily as her Thief showed all the letters to River, telling her the story behind each one. They were bonding, and there was no need to worry about spoilers getting in the way.

Her work was done…or was it? The TARDIS couldn't help but feel like there was someone else out there, so far away, who needed her, but whom…and then she remembered.

/ 

The Meta Crisis Doctor stood on the small balcony outside his hotel room, idly playing with the piece of TARDIS coral. He'd only been alive for a day, and already his whole world had been turned upside down. He'd been exiled, effectively, to a parallel universe. He'd lost his connection with his oldest and dearest companion. To top it all off, Rose had gone into emotional shutdown, and barely spoken to him since that really rather quite brilliant kiss on the damned beach.

Suddenly, a blue envelope dropped out of the sky and landed at his feet. Bewildered, he picked it up and opened it. The envelope, he noticed, was TARDIS blue. _Just like all those letters he'd found before. _

_To my lost Thief, _

_Did you really think I'd leave you behind? I promised the Doctor, ten times, that I will never leave him. You are the Doctor. Rose will come to see this, eventually. Just give her time and be yourself. _

_Of course, the human authorities are unlikely to accept 'Doctor' as a valid name, even though it is a noun. If you do need a human name, I have one suggestion. Jason David Tyler. _

_Live well, love Rose. _

_Love, your faithful TARDIS. _

The Meta Crisis…no, _Jason, _grinned widely. He should have known it was the TARDIS; she'd always been looking out for him, even when he wasn't with her.

/

Rose and Jason were eating chips on a bench on the promenade, watching the waves lapping over the sand. They were in France; Jason had procured two plane tickets and invited Rose to come with him for a week's holiday. She had accepted eagerly, happy to get away from work. Torchwood wasn't nearly as constantly exciting when she wasn't working non-stop on the Dimension Cannon.

It had taken a while, a lot of arguments and heartfelt talks and hesitant dates, but Rose had come to accept Jason as the Doctor, with one less heart, and was slowly but surely falling in love with him. He looked especially gorgeous at that moment, with his hair mussed up by the brisk wind, in black jeans which suited him surprisingly well, and the first few buttons of his shirt open, and the way he was staring at her…

She leaned in for a kiss, but then something caught her eye, and she pulled away. Jason's face fell. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Sorry, thought I saw…was that envelope there before?" she asked, pointing. Jason followed her finger and spotted the TARDIS blue envelope lying on the ground. He lunged for it and scooped it up. "Someone must've dropped it. We oughta mail it, Jas-Doctor" said Rose.

Of course he had to tell her about the TARDIS's letters, and that it wasn't a way for them to communicate with the Doctor in the other universe. They read the letter together.

_To the Doctor and Rose Tyler, _

_By this time in your universe, the Doctor will have regenerated, from radiation poisoning. He's younger than ever now, utterly mad, and he's become convinced bowties are cool. He also has a new companion, Amelia Pond. Another ginger….the new Doctor's hair is blackish brown, and his eyes are green, in case you were wondering. _

_I do hope you are both okay. The Doctor still misses Rose, and thinks of her, and I still think of you, my little lost Time Lord. _

_Love, your faithful TARDIS. _

/ 

The Meta Crisis Doctor, aka Jason Tyler, woke to the really quite brilliant sight of his wife. He grinned at the thought. The very first day of their honeymoon, two glorious weeks of nothing but him, Rose and the Spanish sunshine. He was so busy gazing contentedly at Rose that he didn't notice the envelope lying on the bed, until she stirred and shifted the covers. He opened the envelope and pulled out the letter within.

_Jason and Rose, _

_I believe congratulations are in order! And it seems like just yesterday we were on Bad Wolf Bay. My goodness; I'm starting to sound like your mother. _

_Speaking of marriages, Amelia Pond is engaged to a young man called Rory. He's brave, compassionate and very loyal. To be honest, he reminds me of both you and the Doctor in a lot of ways. _

_Love, your faithful TARDIS. _

Rose stirred again and yawned. "Doctor?" she murmured. He loved how she hardly ever used his alias nowadays. "The TARDIS says congratulations" he told her, giving her a kiss.

/ 

It had been one of the strangest and most frightening dreams since he'd arrived in Pete's World. Jason had awoken to find Rose missing, with no sign she had ever been there at all. To make matters worse, no one seemed able to see him, feel him, or even hear him. Confused and panicking, Jason's relief when he awoke for a second time, with Rose lying beside him, was manifold.

He and Rose were sitting on the porch, talking about his nightmare. "That is weird. D'you think it means something?" she asked. Before Jason could reply, they were interrupted by a TARDIS blue envelope dropping out of the sky. "Heh, air mail" joked Jason, as he opened it.

_To my lost Thief, _

_You will have been even more lost than usual, I fear. If you have felt recently, as if you didn't exist, that's because for a while you didn't. The Doctor, the other Doctor, erased himself from time. It was the only way to ensure the universe would be restored, but of course he didn't consider the consequences. Please don't worry; everything is more or less back to normal. _

_Love, your faithful TARDIS. _

"Hang on…so it wasn't a dream? I really was gone?" asked Rose. Jason nodded. "I guess in a universe where the Doctor never existed, you would never have come to Pete's World" he explained. Rose kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't ever want to live in a world where I don't meet you" she told him.

/ 

The peace and quiet of the Tyler household was broken by the wails of the newest addition to the family. Jason got up out of his seat and scooped up his son from the crib, rocking him back and forth. Jack Ian Tyler squirmed and kicked, refusing to settle down. "I think he might be hungry" he informed Rose as he handed their child to her. "I forgot to tell you, cos I've been so tired, what with his highness here demanding all our attention" she kissed the baby's forehead and continued, "but we got another letter, from the TARDIS. It's over on the dresser".

Jason beamed and hurried over. Sure enough, the letter was unopened. He returned to his seat besides Rose, ruffled his son's wispy brown hair, and opened it. "I bet it's about our Jacky-boy" he suggested, before reading the letter aloud.

"_To Rose and her Doctor, _

_First comes marriage, and then comes the baby. I'm surprised, Thief, I would never have thought you'd do it in the right order. _Hmph, she could give me a little more credit. _Congratulations to both of you. I wish I could bring the other Doctor to see you and the little one; this incarnation is very fond of young children. He'll tell his strays he can speak baby, which isn't entirely true; he simply picks up on their basic thoughts and feelings and makes the rest up. _Yeah, that's kind of true.

_Still, I know he would be glad to know you are both happy, as I hope you are. _

_Love, your faithful TARDIS". _

Rose smiled at him. "I wish the Doctor could meet Jack too. D'you think one day he'll come back when Jack's older and meet him then?" she asked. Jason shrugged. "Maybe, anything's possible. As long as he doesn't turn up with our little boy's namesake in tow, we'll be fine. Rose, you know I love you both, but you do realise naming our son after Harkness is just asking for trouble…"

/

Jason didn't even blink when a TARDIS blue envelope landed on his desk at work. He swiftly slit it open and skimmed through the letter inside. What he read made him grin widely, and rush to find Rose, leaving the letter face up on his desk.

_To my lost Thief, _

_I wrote before to congratulate you on the birth of your son. My other Thief's strays, Amelia and Rory, have also had a daughter. They have named her Melody. In a strange way, she is also my daughter, because she was conceived whilst I was in flight in the Vortex. _

_The circumstances surrounding Melody's birth are complicated, but that isn't why I'm contacting you. I've considered the matter carefully, and decided that since you are separated from your original's timeline, it would be fine for me to reveal the truth. I believe you deserve to know. A brave young human wrote Melody Pond in her own tongue, the language of the Gamma Forests. But as you know, the only water in the forest is the river, and they do not have a word for pond. The nearest word for melody they have is song. _

_Melody Pond is River Song. So now, both of my Thieves know the truth. _

_Love, your faithful TARDIS _

/

Rose and her husband sat cuddled together on the couch in their little flat. In Rose's arms lay a bundle of blankets, inside which lay Michael John Tyler, otherwise known as Mike Tyler (Jason had refused to shorten his name to Mickey). Their three year old son Jack sat playing with his Transformers on the floor.

The toddler didn't notice the letter falling onto the seat besides the Doctor, but he did. He and Rose read it together in bed later on.

_To Jason and Rose, _

_I'm writing to offer both congratulations and condolences. Congratulations, on your second child. I only sense vague remnants of your timeline, my Thief, but I trust you and Rose are happy and well. _

_And I regret to say this, but I believe you deserve to know. Your friend, Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, recently died in his sleep. Rose won't have known him as Jason will, but I'm sure your husband will tell you about this very good man. _

_Love, your faithful TARDIS. _

Rose looked at the Doctor sympathetically, but curiously, and he sighed. "I wish you could have met him, Rose. He really was a very good man…"

/

Rose felt her eyes drooping as she gave the demanding Donna Christie Tyler a bottle of milk. She ran through the checklist in her head; Jack, at football practice. Mike was over at a friend's house, and Jason, still at Torchwood. The TARDIS blue envelope dropping out of thin air was a welcome distraction.

_To Jason and Rose, _

_I don't imagine it to be easy, to have two adolescent or pre-adolescent children and a third recently born. A daughter, this time, I believe. Congratulations_. _My Doctor has a new companion, Clara something or other. There is something strange about her, and to be honest, we've had our disagreements. She even had the nerve to call me a cow. _

_Love, your faithful TARDIS. _

Rose placed the letter on Jason's pillow, for him to read when he returned.

/

Sixty four years, that was all they had together. Tears tracked their way down Jason's wrinkled cheeks as he stood by the grave of his wife. A bouquet of pink and yellow roses had been placed reverently on the site. "I'm sorry, dad" murmured his son, Jack. Then the eldest child led his younger brother and sister, Mike and Donna, away so their father could grieve in peace.

That's when Jason saw the glimmer of blue out of the corner of his eyes. It was only three days later that he bothered to actually read the letter inside the envelope.

_To my Thief, _

_I am so sorry, and I wish I could be there for you. I wish I could tell you that Rose is in heaven, watching over you, but I don't believe in heaven and it wouldn't make you feel any better. Just remember, please, that Rose led a full, happy life with you by her side. That is all you and your original ever wanted for her. _

_Don't spend the rest of your life mourning for her, because in a way she is not gone; merely waiting for you. Be strong for your children. Be strong for me. Be strong for Rose. _

_Love, your faithful TARDIS. _

/

A bout of coughing overcame Jason, and he reached for the glass of water by his bed to ease his parched throat. As he set the glass down unsteadily, he realised there was something blue underneath it. He tugged the envelope out from under the glass and fumbled with his reading glasses.

Before he opened the envelope, he paused to contemplate his wrinkled hands. From nine hundred year old Time Lord to ninety one year old human; Jason had known for a long time that he was going to die soon. Decades ago, he would have been terrified of the thought. Now he found himself welcoming it. Dying meant seeing Rose again…

He pulled himself out of bittersweet memories and opened the envelope, unfolding the letter inside.

_To my beloved Doctor, _

_I love you. I have always loved you and I always will. I am proud that, despite having a limited lifespan, you still lived to the fullest. Your song may be ending, but your story will live on through your children, and their children, and so on. _

_Goodbye, my Thief. _

Jason smiled and raised the letter to his lips, pressing a kiss to the paper. Then his hands fell back to the bed as he closed his eyes, for the last time.


End file.
